it seems like years since it's been clear Here comes the sun

When I'm not cooking I'm either digging in the dirt or my fabric stash.

We moved into this house Sept last year and it had 5 built in flower beds, all sadly over grown with grass and weeds. Our move-in inspector was delighted when I asked if I could tear out the grass and put in flowers. Okinawans have an affinity for all things that grow, this island is an interesting mix of city, and jungle trying to reclaim the city while being helped by everyone's balcony or tiny yard gardens (manicured to varring degrees).

I of course had to un pack and get us settled in (during Typhoon season). And winter showed up (mild as they are here I still don't enjoy it). I tried to dig up the grass/weeds by hand, no dice. They had been in for so long (and the soil here so much like clay) that the only way that was happening was with a shovel or pick. I ended up hiring a yard guy to come and dig them up for me. He needed both a shovel and a pick.

Then I was left with 4 ditches running the length of my sidewalk up to my door, with piles of dirt and weeds in the grass in the lawn. I can't imagine how the "yard nazi's" passed up the opportunity to write us up for what I'm sure were several infractions. I can only think that since it looked (slow as it was) like something was happening. Toss in some sick kids and it took me nearly a month start to finish to get these flower beds planted. You can see before and afters (more than what I posted in this post) here (page 4-5 ish for the before of the yard)

I planted things that I already knew tolerated the climate well, and would fill in the beds nicely once established. They still look a little sparce, but it would cost a fortune to fill them in all the way, not to mention, I'd have to go and thin things out too soon.

I bought some flowers from local nurseries and dug others up from a friends yard (they were getting a little over grown at her place). It'll be nice to one day get to plant a garden and just maintain it and not have to worry about what the next person will do with it. Last time we lived here I landscaped (not just flowers, but shrubbery, and decorative grasses, and the like) the entire yard and the next ppl just pulled it all out. Guess they didn't want to be bothered.

For supper tonight we are having BBQ chicken legs A-La the crock pot, rice and steamed greens.

For the Chicken I didn't have any bottled sauce so I made my own
1 bottle of teriyaki sauce
1 can tomato paste
18 oz water (rinsed the bottle out a couple times)
big squeeze of honey
1 Tbs (ish) Gourmet burger seasoning
whisk

pour that over a bag of frozen legs in a crock pot, cook on high from 11 ish to 6ish.
rice in the rice cooker of course.
and greens in cast iron with ham flavor.

We like to eat the chicken on top of the rice, to give it some flavor, and the greens on the side. It's not pretty (or picture worthy) cause after all day in the crockpot it kinda just falls apart. and is orangy/red.